Free swing waste receptacle cover



Dec. 9, 1969 S. G. PODWALNY FREE SWING WASTE RECEPTAGLE COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 6, 1968 INVENTOR. SERGEY 6. PODWALNY BY ATTORNEYS Dec. 9, 1969 5. cs. PODWALNY FREE SWING WASTE RECEPTACLE COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1968 V DC INVENTOR.

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SERG BY 71/ PM! ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,482 730 FREE SWING WASTE RECEPTACLE COVER Sergey Gary Podwalny, Smithville, Ohio, assignor to Rubbermaid Incorporated, Wooster, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 6, 1968, Ser. No. 735,101 Int. Cl. B65d 43/16, 7/42 US. Cl. 220-31 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-closing cover for the open top of a receptacle having a transverse central apex portion with two equal cover portions inclined downwardly from the apex to outer rim portions and fitting within and normally completely closing the open top of the receptacle, the cover having diametrically opposite pivot lugs projecting outwardly from the ends of said apex portion with their lower flat edges pivotally supported in upwardly open flat bottom notches in the upper inner wall of the receptacle, said cover being balanced for freely swinging to completely closed position when swung to open position and released.

Background of the invention Prior covers for waste receptacles of which l am aware have been of two kinds, those having eccentrically mounted or counterweighted covers which swing by gravity (sometimes aided by springs) to closing position against stops, and those which are intended to be balanced in closed position so as to tend to return to closed position when opened.

Those of the first kind have the disadvantages, among others, of being heavy and difficult to open, and of noisily banging against the stops when closing, not to overlook the expense of construction. Those of the second kind have the disadvantages of being too sensitively balanced, in which case the cover swings back and forth and takes too long to close, and of not being sensitive enough so that it tends to stick in open position. Moreover, where the pivot portions are all or partly metal, corrosion thereof increases friction and interferes with balance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved free swinging waste receptacle cover which is easily opened and quickly returns automatically to closed position.

Another object is to provide an improved pivot construction which has a minimum amount of friction and is not subject to corrosion.

A further object is to provide an improved pivot construction which is easily modified to control the sensitivity of the balance of the cover.

Summary of the invention These and other objects are accomplished by utilizing a cover having a central apex portion from which diametrically opposite pivot lugs of plastic material project into notches in the receptacle plastic side walls, the

' pivot lugs having flat surfaces abutting flat bottom surfaces in the notches when the cover is closed, and a linear edge of said lugs adapted to roll on the flat bottom surfaces when the cover is swung open.

Description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the receptacle with the cover in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1, open positions of the cover being shown in phantom lines.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view on line 3,482,730 Patented Dec. 9, 1969 "ice Description of the preferred embodiment The receptacle indicated generally at 10 may be cylindrical as shown or may have a rectangular or polygonal shape with substantially straight sides. In either case the receptacle is molded of suitable plastic material such as high impact styrene.

As shown, the receptacle has an upper top portion 11 of reduced diameter provided with an inner downturned rim flange 12 and an outer bottom flange 11' which fits over the upper rim "of the receptacle. The cover 13 is circular and fits within said rim flange with suflicient clearance to allow free swinging of the cover on its pivots from closed to open position. The cover is also preferably molded of suitable plastic material such as high impact polystyrene.

The cover 13 preferably has a central diametric apex at 14 from which two substantially half circular, slightly convex, inclined portions 15 slope downwardly in opposite directions to the outer downturned rim flange 16. The rim flange 16 has its greatest depth at the apex portions 16a and tapers therefrom to the shallower flange portions 16b at the lower edges of the inclined top portions 15. Triangular reinforcing ribs 17 extend inwardly across the comers between rim flange portions 16a and the top wall of the cover at the apex 14. To insure free swinging, the cover 13 is preferably slightly elliptical so that there is a little more clearance between the receptacle top and the cover at flange portions 16b than at flange portions 16a, as seen in FIG. 1.

From the apex flange portions 16a diametrically opposite integral pivot lugs 19 project outwardly, and these lugs are received in sector-shaped apertures 20 formed at diametrically opposite locations in the inner rim flanges 12 of the receptacle. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the apertures 20 are large enough to readily receive the lugs 19, and have substantially U-shaped bottom notches 21 for receiving and supporting the lower portions 22 of the lugs 19.

By pivoting the cover at the apex portions, the center of gravity of the cover is located below the pivots so as to cause the cover to tend to return automatically to closed position when it is swung to open position.

The bottom surfaces 22 of the lugs 19 are fiat and normally horizontal in the closed position of the cover when they abut the flat horizontal bottom surfaces 23 of the notches 21. As shown, the width of the notches 21 at their bottom surfaces 23 is somewhat greater than the width of the bottom portions of lugs 19 and the sides 24 of the notches taper upwardly outward to merge into rounded corners 25 so that as the cover swings or rotates on the pivot lugs 19 the flat bottom surfaces 22 of the lugs can roll or rock a limited amount in either direction about one corner resting on the fiat bottom surfaces 23 of the notches 21, as shown in FIG. 5, with a minimum amount of rubbing friction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the longitudinal dimension of the lugs 19 and the flat bearing surface 22 is substantially greater than the thickness of the wall 12 and its flat hearing surface 23, This compensates for variances in the diameters of the receptacle and cover. The height of the lugs 19 gives it increased strength in the direction of impacts applied to the cover. In the case of an extremely strong impact applied to the cover, the strength of the lugs in the direction of impact will permit the lugs 19 to pop out of the receptacle apertures 20 without damaging the cover or receptacle.

Due to the fact that the flat surfaces of the recessed portions 22 and the flat surfaces of the notches 21 are in abutment when the cover is in closed position, the cover will always tend to stabilize in closed position and quickly cease swinging when it is returned by gravity to that position. By increasing the areas of the abutting fiat surfaces, the balance of the cover is made less sensitive, that is, the cover will be more stable in the closed position and require more force to swing it to an open posi tion. Thus, the sensitivity of the balance can be controlled by changing the size of the fiat areas, and since the parts are all plastic material there is no corrosion which would afiect the sensitivity.

The improved receptacle cover construction is economically molded of plastic material and has no metal to corrode, or separate parts to assemble as the pivot lugs are easily put in place or removed by flexing the receptacle walls. The cover is sensitively balanced so as to swing open when very lightweight objects are dropped thereon, and yet be stable in closed position so as to quickly return from open position to rest in closed position.

I claim:

1. In combination with an open top receptacle having side walls with opposed openings therein and substantially flat supporting surfaces at the bottom edges of said openings, a cover swingably mounted within said open top for normally closing the receptacle, said cover having a transverse central apex portion and two equal top portions 4 sloping downwardly in opposite directions therefrom, said cover having two integral pivot lugs projecting outwardly from the ends of said apex portion to enter said recep tacle side wall openings, and said lugs having substantially flat bottom portions rockably supported on the bottom supporting surfaces of said openings.

2. The receptacle and cover as defined in claim 1, in which the substantially fiat bottom portions of the pivot lugs abut the substantially flat bottom surfaces of the bottom notches of the side wall openings in the closed position of the cover.

3. The receptacle and cover as defined in claim 1, in which the receptacle and cover are of plastic material.

4. The receptacle and cover as defined in claim 2, in which the receptacle and cover are of plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,238,993 9/ 1917 Edwards 22032 3,283,938 11/1966 Vidal 220-205 FOREIGN PATENTS 816,300 10/ 1951 Germany.

GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2201, 20.5 

